"Health concerns about canola oil are unfounded....low in saturated fat and has a high proportion of monounsaturated fat, which makes it a healthy and safe choice when it comes to cooking oils." -- Mayo Clinic nutritionist, Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.

"One way to reshape your diet is by choosing heart-healthy oils. Canola oil, which is made from the crushed seeds of the canola plant, is among the healthiest of cooking oils. It has the lowest saturated fat content of any oil commonly consumed in the U.S., at just 7%. By comparison, sunflower oil has 12% saturated fat, corn oil has 13%, and olive oil has 15%.

Although it's low in saturated fat, canola oil is very high in healthy unsaturated fats. It's an excellent source of the omega-6 fatty acid, linolenic acid, and it is higher in the omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) than any other oil commonly used. These fats are particularly important in the diet because the human body can't produce them. -- www.webmd.com/food-recipes/canola-oil

"It’s a good source of monounsaturated fats, the kind that, when used to replace saturated fats like butter and cheese, can help reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol levels and lower your risk of heart disease. Canola is the richest cooking-oil source of alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fat that has been linked to heart health." -- Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D., EatingWell

======== Canola oil is NOT the same thing as wild rapeseed, which contains high levels of erucic acid. Canola oil contains very little erucic acid.

The benefits of using Canola oil in cooking are overwhelming: (1) low in saturated fat (2) contains both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in a ratio of 2:1. (3)reduces low-density lipoprotein and overall cholesterol levels (4) and as a significant source of the essential omega-3 fatty acid is associated with reduced all-cause and cardiovascular mortality -- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canola

It might be helpful for you to have an appt. with a real dietitian at some point.

Olive oil is supposed to be good for you, but I hate it's smell and taste! So Canola oil is a good substitute, and cheaper and doesn't have that awful taste. Coconut oil makes some foods taste funny, too. But you don't need to use too much oil anyway, so pick what you like, in the end.........It's not like you pour yourself a cup of oil to drink each day. Go to Nutrition Action newsletter website, they don't take advertisement from any company, so you can see what products are really good and on the "up and up", compared to stuff just trying to make a fast buck from desparate dieting people.

I like olive oil too - although I only use EVOO for cold drizzling or salad dressings. I use regular olive oil if I'm cooking with it. I use a *lot* of coconut oil. I avoid all seed oils, such as canola (rapeseed oil). I've heard some of the more exotic oils are pretty healthy: avocado, walnut, etc. I haven't tried them because they're pretty pricey, and I'm happy with coconut oil.

Salmon is an example of a fatty fish. Yes, it's high calorie, but the fat that is found in fish has been shown to help reduce a person's risk for heart disease. Studies have also shown that a diet high in fish can help increase cognitive function.

SparkPeople, SparkCoach, SparkPages, SparkPoints, SparkDiet, SparkAmerica, SparkRecipes, DailySpark, and other marks are trademarks of SparkPeople, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
SPARKPEOPLE is a registered trademark of SparkPeople, Inc. in the United States, European Union, Canada, and Australia. All rights reserved.

NOTE: Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy last updated on October 25, 2013